i?4 Travels in India. PaitJI 



chap. xx. 



The Author furfues his Travels into the Eaft, and embarks at Min- 

 greJa for liaravia. The danger he was in ttfon the Sea ; and his 

 arrival in the JJland of CeyJan. 



T Departed from MingnU, a great Town in the Kingdom of ViUpour, eieht 

 X Leagues from Goa, the fourteenth of slprU y 1648, and embark'd in a Dutch 

 Veflel bound for Batavia. The Ship had orders to touch at Boj^nour, to take 

 mRice. Whereupon I went a fh ore with the Captain, to obtain leave of the 

 King to buy Rice. We found him upon the fhore, where he had about a do- 

 zen Huts fet up, which were covered with Palm-leaves. |n his own Hut there 

 was a piece of Ptrfian Tapeftry fpread under him, and there we (aw five or 

 fix women, fome fanning him with Peacocks Feathers, others giving him Betil 

 others filling him his Pipe of Tobacco. The molt confiderable perfons of the* 

 Country were in the other Huts j and we counted about two hundred men 

 that were upon the Guard, armM only with Bows and Arrows. Thev had alto 

 two Elephants among 'em. 'Tis very probable, that his Palace was not far 

 ofl, and that he onry came thither to take the frefh air. There we were pre- 

 sented with Tan or Palm-wine ; but being new, and not boil'd, it caused the 

 head-ach in all that drank it, infomuch that we were two days before we could 

 recover it. I ask'd the reafon, how the Wine came to do us (6 much prejudice - 

 to which they anfwer'd me, that it Was the Planting of Pepper about the Palm- 

 trees, that gave fuch a ftrength to the Wine. 



We were no fooner got aboard, but a mighty tempeft arofe, wherein the 

 Ship, men, and goods had all like to have been caft away, being near the more ■•■ 

 but at length, the wind changing, we found our felves by break of day three' 

 or four Leagues at Sea, having loft all our Anchors; and at length came fafe 

 to Port m the Haven of Ponte.de Galle, the twelfth of May. 



J found nothing remarkable in that City 5 there bein- nothing but the ruins 

 made by the underminings, and Canon-rtiot, when the Hollanders befieg'd it, 

 and chas'd the Portugals from thence. The Com; any allow'd ground to build 

 upon, to them that would inhabit there, and land to til! 5 and' had then rais'd 

 two Bulwarks which commanded the Port. If they have finim'd the defien 

 which they undertook, the place cannot but be very confiderable. 

 • T [ ie Hollanders, before they took all the places which the Portugals had 

 jn the Ifland of Ccylan, did believe that the trade of this Ifland would have 

 brought them in vaft fums, could they but be fole Matters of it ; and perhaps 

 their conjeftures might have been true, had they not broken their words with 

 the King ^ Candy, who is the King of the Country j but breaking faith with 

 him, thev loft themfelves in all other places thereabouts. 



The Hollanders had made an agreement with the King of Candy, that he 

 fliould be always ready with twenty thoufand men, to keep the paflages that 

 Hinder the Portugals from bringing any fuccours from Colombo, Neoombe, tya- 

 nar 9 or any other places which they pofleffed upon the CoaC In con- 

 iideratKm whereof the Hollanders, when they had taken Pome Galle, were 

 to reltore it to the King of Candy, which they not performing, the King fent 

 to know why they did not give him poffeflion of the Town ; to which tb' 7 

 return d anfwer, that they were ready to do it, provided he would defray the 

 expences of the war. But they knew, that if he had had three Kingdoms more, 

 men as his own,he could never have payd fo great a fum. I muft confefs indeed the 

 Country is very poor, for I do not believe that the King ever faw fifty thou- 

 sand Crowns together in his life ; his trade being all in Cinnamon and Elephants. 

 as tor his Cinnamon, he has no profit of it fince the Portugals coming into 

 tne halt Indies. And for his Elephants, he makes but little of them j for they 

 take not above five or fix m a year ; but they are morel efteem'd than any 

 pener country Elephants, as fating the moft couragious iri war. One thing I 



will 



